By Suleman Chitera
The Ministry of Lands has this morning launched a nationwide land ownership audit exercise aimed at addressing escalating land disputes, encroachment, and illegal land transactions.
Minister of Lands, Chimwemwe Chipungu, announced that the exercise will run for two months under a pilot phase beginning in Lilongwe, specifically targeting Areas 10 and 3.
Speaking during the official launch in Lilongwe, Chipungu said the audit has been prompted by a surge in complaints from the public over land encroachment and fraudulent land sales, practices he described as detrimental to orderly urban development and public trust.
Matching Records with Reality
According to the minister, the core objective of the audit is to reconcile official land ownership records held by the ministry with the actual status of plots on the ground.
“This exercise is about restoring sanity in land administration. We want to ensure that what is on paper reflects what is physically on the ground,” Chipungu said.
He added that beyond resolving ownership disputes, the initiative is also designed to enhance revenue collection from land-related transactions by sealing loopholes that have enabled illegal allocations and unregistered transfers.
14-Day Ultimatum Ignored
Chipungu disclosed that a 14-day ultimatum previously issued to individuals suspected of illegally acquiring or grabbing land has not yielded compliance.
“No one has obeyed the ultimatum,” he said, signaling that enforcement measures will now be intensified as part of the audit process.
Warning to Ministry Officials
The minister also issued a stern warning to officers within the ministry against any attempts to sabotage the exercise. He revealed that preliminary investigations have already uncovered cases in Lilongwe where land was unlawfully sold with the involvement of some ministry officials.
Those implicated have since been arrested.
Chipungu emphasized that the audit will be conducted transparently and that any official found complicit in corrupt land dealings will face legal consequences.
The pilot phase in Areas 10 and 3 is expected to inform a broader rollout of the audit across other parts of Lilongwe and eventually nationwide, as government moves to tighten control over land administration and restore public confidence in the system.
